4 Sent To Hospital After Possible Hazmat At Brookline DPW

BROOKLINE, MA — Four Brookline Public Works employees were taken to hospitals Tuesday afternoon for possible chemical exposure after someone reported a strange chemical smell at the Department of Public Works on Hammond Street, according to fire officials.

Around 12:30 p.m. someone at the Municipal Service Center called the fire department to report a chemical odor and some of the employees were experiencing "adverse effects," Chief John Sullivan said.

When the Brookline Fire Department got there, they requested METROFIRE District HazMat Response Team for a Level 1 Hazmat spill to investigate the smell.

Sullivan said it's still not clear what caused the chemical smell.

A Level 1, hazmat response is the lowest level of response for an incident regarding hazardous materials. Level 1 incidents present little risk to the environment or to public health with containment and cleanup, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.